IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Songstress Tish Hinojosa will bring her unique blend
of folk, country, pop and Hispanic music to the University of Iowa Hancher
Auditorium for a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. The concert is part
of the Gazette American Visions series.

During three days at the UI, Hinojosa will perform for area school groups
on Hancher's Stage Door educational series, and she will appear at the
local Hispanic celebration of the Day of the Dead at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct.
30, in Old Brick.

Hinojosa's bi-lingual music of hardship and hope encapsulates the rich
cultural mix of the American Southwest. The youngest of 13 children of
Mexican emigrants, she grew up in San Antonio, Texas, has lived in Nashville
and New Mexico, and was part of the vital "roots" revival movement
in Austin, Texas. She has combined the many cultural traditions of the
region into a personal style that transcends them all.

Spin magazine concluded, "Her songs are richly detailed, delicious
slices of life . . . Hinojosa's is a strong, poetic, sensual and conscious
voice," and the Los Angeles Times suggested, "You might hear
more natural singers than Hinojosa, but they'll likely have feathers and
wings."

Hinojosa has gained a national following through her many recordings
on the Warner Brothers, Rounder, A&M and Watermelon labels -- most
recently "Dreaming from the Labyrinth/Sonar del Labertinto,"
two performances on public television's "Austin City Limits,"
her music and narration on a PBS special about U.S.-Mexican border relations,
and appearances on "Good Morning America," "CBS This Morning,"
a VH-1 special, MTV, the Nashville Network and other national media.

Her 1992 recording "Culture Swing" won the NAIRD Indie Award
for Folk Album of the Year; she was recognized by Fox Television's Bravo
Honors in 1995 for creating one of the year's most important Spanish-language
albums, "Frontejas"; and she received a Las Primeras award from
Mana, the nation's largest organization of Latina women.

Hinojosa's recordings have frequently been chosen by critics for their
top-10 lists. In addition to her own recordings, she has performed on albums
by Joan Baez, and Nancy Griffith and Lucinda Williams.

In 1996 Hinojosa realized a long-held dream when she released a bi-lingual
album for children, "Cada Nino/Every Child." Her songs for children
meld ethnic and popular culture in way that dissolves differences and emphasizes
the common experiences of childhood. The album was honored with the Parents
Choice Gold Award and an award from the National Association of Parenting
Publications.

Because of her music's role in promoting cultural understanding, Hinojosa
has been called upon to represent many progressive causes, including national
and statewide conferences dealing with humanitarian issues. She has been
a spokesperson from the National Latino Children's agenda, including a
performance on Capitol Hill, and for the National Association of Bilingual
Education.

A friend of the late Cesar Chavez, Hinojosa performed at national conferences
of the United Farmworkers of America, and she has performed for the National
Women's Political Caucus and other events supporting the empowerment of
women.

Tickets for the Nov. 1 Hancher concert by Tish Hinojosa are $24, $22
and $20. UI students and senior citizens qualify for a 20-percent discount,
and Zone 3 tickets are available to UI students for $10. Tickets for audience
members 17 and younger are half price.

Hancher box office hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday and 1-3 p.m. Sunday. From the local calling area or outside Iowa,
dial (319) 335-1160. Long distance within Iowa and western Illinois is
toll-free, 1-800-HANCHER. Fax to (319) 353-2284. Orders may be charged
to VISA, MasterCard or American Express. UI students may charge their purchases
to their university bills, and UI faculty and staff may select the option
of payroll deduction.

People with special needs for access, seating and auxiliary services
should dial (319) 335-1158. This number will be answered by box office
personnel prepared to offer assistance with handicapped parking, wheelchair
access and seating, hearing augmentation and other services. The line is
equipped with TDD for people with hearing impairment who use that technology.

The Gazette is the corporate sponsor of the American Visions Series,
through the University of Iowa Foundation.